Product Description
This Saharan Acheulean hand axe was made and used by Homo ergaster (African Homo erectus). It was surface-collected from an exposed Acheulian site in the Northern Sahara Desert of North Africa. This Lower Paleolithic tool represents the first intelligent design type known to science that was made by primitive humans. Prior to these Saharan Acheulean tools, only crude pebble tools existed in the human fossil record.
You simply can not improve on this SPECTACULAR museum specimen of a cleaver hand axe. It is a CLEAVER made on a broad flake with a wide chopping edge on its distal end. In every way, it is a top specimen and no hand axe collection should be without at least one representation of this unique type. THIS IS ONLY THE FIFTH TIME WE HAVE OFFERED THIS TYPE FOR SALE!
The grip design is AMBIDEXTROUS allowing the stone axe to be switched from hand to hand or user to user preference - an ingenious concept and proof of the intellect early humans. Superb secondary flaking workmanship runs all around the perimeter for a perfect shape. This is a rare and fine grade reference specimen featuring all the premium features for this period and technology. "Desert varnish" and bi-color patina indicates extreme long-term exposure undisturbed, on one side - traits only found in authentic African Paleolithic artifacts.
During the time of this axe, there were large elephant and hippopotamus species as well as giraffe species in Africa that primitive humans would have hunted. An axe like this was necessary to butcher such large kills.